Crispy Nopal Street Tacos with Green Chili Rice & Black Bean Pico

Growing up in Phoenix, having nopal (cactus paddles) and prickly pear fruit in the grocery store was completely normal. It was just part of life.

After moving away, I realized not every grocery store — or restaurant — carries nopal. So, when I spotted fresh cactus paddles at one of my favorite stores recently, I was thrilled. Of course, I bought them… and today’s recipe was born.

These crispy nopal street tacos are not only delicious, but they’re also incredibly nourishing. I paired them with green chili rice and a fresh black bean pico de gallo for a simple, plant-based meal that feels both comforting and vibrant

Nopal (also called nopales) is a traditional staple in Mexican cuisine and has been used for generations for its health benefits.

Nutrition highlights (1 cup cooked nopal, approx.):

• ~14–20 calories
• 2g fiber
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Antioxidants (betalains)

Benefits:

• Supports blood sugar balance
• High in fiber for gut health
• Naturally anti-inflammatory
• Hydrating and mineral-rich
• Low calorie but satisfying

It’s a beautiful addition to a whole-food, plant lifestyle.

---

How to Prepare Fresh Nopal

If you purchased nopal in a jar, you can skip the cleaning and boiling steps and jump ahead to the breading section.

Step 1: Remove the Thorns

Using a sharp knife, carefully run the blade against the surface of the paddle to remove the thorns. Work slowly and go against the direction of the spines. Trim off the base (“butt”) of the paddle and remove a very thin edge along the sides.

Step 2: Wash

Place the cleaned paddles in a bowl of water to rinse off any remaining needles and debris.

Step 3: Slice

Remove from water and slice into strips or bite-size pieces. Keep in mind: smaller pieces cook faster.

Step 4: Boil Until Tender

In a large pot:

• 1 diced onion
• Generous pinch of salt
• 2-3 drops of cilantro pure essential oil
• Enough water to fully cover cactus

Bring to a gentle boil and cook 15–20 minutes, until tender. Drain well and lay on a towel or parchment to remove excess moisture.

(If using jarred nopal, simply drain and pat dry.)

Crispy Nopal Taco Filling

You’ll Need:

• Cooked nopal
• 2 eggs
• Hot sauce (I love Cholula)
• Taco seasoning
• Panko or seasoned breadcrumbs even corn meal or flour will work
• Olive oil spray

Directions:

1. In one bowl, whisk eggs with hot sauce to your preferred heat level.
2. In a separate bag or bowl, combine breadcrumbs and taco seasoning.
3. Dip cooked nopal into egg mixture.
4. Transfer to breadcrumb mixture and shake to coat (like a “shake and bake” method).
5. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Spray lightly with olive oil, flip, and spray the other side.
7. Bake at 500°F for 7–10 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Cooking time will vary based on how thick you sliced the nopal.

Black Bean Pico De Gallo (Fresh & Protein-Rich)

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• Handful cherry tomatoes, diced
• Small onion, diced
• ½ cup corn (fresh or thawed frozen)
• 1 small orange bell pepper, diced
• ¼ cup canned green chiles
• 4 drops of lime pure essential oil
• Cumin
• Garlic paste
• Salt
• Hot sauce to taste

Stir together and let sit for flavors to blend. I made this in the morning just so it had a chance to merry, but you can do it as your nopal bake.

Nutrition boost:

• Plant protein
• Fiber
• Iron
• Folate
• Antioxidants

This adds texture, color, and satisfying heartiness to your tacos

Assemble Your Tacos

Warm corn tortillas.
Add crispy nopal.
Top generously with black bean pico.

Optional additions:

• Avocado slices
• Fresh cilantro
• Cotija cheese
• Greek yogurt or crema
• Squeeze of lime

---

Why I Love This Meal

This recipe is:

• Budget friendly
• Plant-forward
• High fiber
• Blood sugar supportive (hello great for menopause!)
• Naturally gluten-free (use GF breadcrumbs if needed)

It’s a beautiful reminder that traditional foods often carry powerful nourishment — and a little piece of home. If you would like the dummy easy green chili rice recipe, just drop in the comments below that you would and I’ll gladly share it.

Essential Oil Safety Disclaimer

If choosing to use essential oils in recipes, please use extreme caution. Not all essential oils are safe for internal use, and many are highly concentrated.

Only use oils that are:

• Specifically labeled for internal culinary use
• From a reputable company that provides GC/MS testing
• Used in very small, properly diluted amounts

Essential oils are significantly more potent than dried or fresh herbs. In most cases, fresh lime juice, zest, cilantro, or other whole-food ingredients can safely provide the same flavor.

Always consult a qualified healthcare professional if you have medical conditions, are pregnant or nursing, or are serving food to children.

When in doubt, leave it out — whole food ingredients are always the safest choice.

Picture this—a dish so hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor that it becomes your go-to for Meatless Mondays (or any day, really). Enter green chili enchiladas, an absolute crowd-pleaser that checks all the boxes for foodies, vegetarians, and anyone who just loves a good plate of Mexican cuisine.

I get it—when you’re craving Mexican food, your mind might jump straight to tacos or nachos, but trust me, these green chili enchiladas deserve a spotlight on your dinner table. They’re easy to make, incredibly versatile, and oh-so-delicious. You can keep them vegetarian with black beans (my personal preference) or toss in shredded chicken if you’re feeding a meat-loving crowd.

And here’s where it gets even more exciting—the real star of this dish is the homemade green chili sauce. Sure, you could grab a jar from the store, but taking the time to whip up your own sauce? Totally worth it. The flavor, the aroma, the feeling of accomplishment—it’s next-level stuff.

Whether you’re cooking for yourself, some foodie friends, or the family who just wants a tasty meal, these enchiladas are a culinary hug you didn’t know you needed.

Green Chile Sauce Recipe (A Game Changer)

Let’s start with the green chili sauce. Making it from scratch might sound intimidating, but believe me, it’s easier (and WAY tastier) than you think. Plus, the kitchen’s going to smell divine.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ cup onion, finely chopped
• 1–2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons Gary’s True Grit™ Einkorn Flour (or regular AP flour if that’s what you’ve got)
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 1½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup Anaheim or Poblano chilies, roasted and peeled (or 1 cup canned diced green chilies, rinsed and drained)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium jalapeno, finely diced (optional, for a nice kick)
• 1 drop Black Pepper Vitality™ essential oil
• 1 drop Oregano Vitality essential oil
• 1 drop Lime Vitality essential oil
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and garlic; cover and cook until the onions are soft but not browned (about 5–6 minutes). Stir occasionally—this part is kind of therapeutic!
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes. It’ll clump—don’t panic, that’s totally normal.
4. Slowly whisk in the broth to smooth out the lumps. Watch it go from clumpy to silky—so satisfying.
5. Add the cumin, chilies, salt, and jalapeno (if you’re using it) and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should coat your spoon, but still drip off—golden consistency unlocked!
7. Remove from heat and stir in the Vitality oils. Feel free to taste and adjust the salt if needed.
8. For a smoother sauce, blend it in a food processor or blender. Pro tip: Blending makes it feel extra fancy!

And voilà, you’ve got yourself the tastiest green chili sauce on the block.

Time to Assemble the Enchiladas

Got your sauce ready to go? Great! Here’s how to transform it into a plate of pure joy.

Ingredients for the Enchiladas

• 1–2 cups black beans (or ½ pound shredded chicken if you’re going the meat route)
• 8–10 white corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheese (your pick—cheddar, Monterey Jack, whatever floats your cheesy boat)
• The green chili sauce you just made (you genius, you!)
• Optional toppings: black olives, extra cheese, fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. It’s about to get seriously cozy in your kitchen.
2. Spread a little less than half of your green chili sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan. This helps keep everything nice and juicy.
3. Dip a tortilla in the sauce, fill it with black beans (or chicken), sprinkle a little cheese, roll it up, and place it seam-side down in the pan. Bonus points if you manage this without sneaking bites of the filling. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
4. Pour the rest of the sauce over your enchiladas, making sure every inch is covered. Sprinkle the top with more cheese, because… why not?
5. Optional but highly recommended—add sliced black olives for a little extra flair.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Your kitchen is about to smell like a dream.

Serve Like a Pro

When they’re fresh out of the oven, sprinkle the enchiladas with chopped cilantro. It adds a pop of color and a hit of freshness that ties the whole dish together.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up making a plate, then going back for seconds. Or thirds. No judgment here.

Why These Green Chile Enchiladas are a Must-Try

• Perfect for Meatless Mondays: Black beans make this veggie-friendly without sacrificing any of the hearty vibes.
• Customizable: Got meat lovers? Throw in the shredded chicken. Want more heat? Add an extra jalapeno or a drizzle of hot sauce. The possibilities are endless.
• Homemade Sauce = Next-Level Flavor: Seriously, it makes ALL the difference. Once you taste it, you’ll never go back to store-bought.

Final Thoughts

There you have it—an easy, flavorful Mexican-inspired dish that’s perfect for a cozy dinner at home or impressing guests. Whether you’re a committed vegetarian, an adventurous foodie, or just someone who loves cheese (hi, me too), these green chile enchiladas are bound to become a favorite.

Got your tortillas ready? Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram with your masterpiece! And if you’re feeling inspired to explore even more bold flavors, keep an eye on our recipe blog for future goodies.

Buen provecho! 🌿

I’m sure if you have read any of my blog you realize I have a love for pasta and enjoy making up recipes that would probably be laughed at by anyone that does it well, maybe I should leave it up to the experts but I can’t help myself with trying new things or fully embracing other peoples recipes that evolve pasta.

I may have a carb addiction or maybe I should just move to a country where I fit in with my love of all things pasta who knows but todays recipe is from a great cookbook “The Essential DIY Recipes of Essential Cooking” by Essential Educators. This is a great book if you want to try using essential oils in your cooking. I’m not going to get into the debate of essential oils and ingesting them but I would love to share some benefits of basil and how in essential oil it can help. A big tip when cooking with essential oil, always, always make sure the essential oil is pure, know where they get the oil from and a little goes a long way.

In todays recipe it uses not only the essential oil but fresh so you get benefits from both.

Basil’s name is derived from “basileum” the Greek name for king and the uses can vary from the Italian women wearing basil to attract possible suitors or the Hindu people put basil sprigs on the chest of their dead to protect them from evil spirits. While in the 16th century powdered basil leaves were inhaled to treat migraines and chest infections. The medical properties are amazing, it is a powerful antispasmodic (an agent to suppresses muscle spasms) , antibacterial (and who doesn’t need that) plus it can be used on insect bits ( hello summers coming)…it is so amazing such a good tasting herb that is widely used can be so helpful. You can even use it aromatically to help fight mental fatigue and yes, defusing it really helps I have noticed it is pretty fast acting too.

This recipe is quick and with summer around the corner with all the benefits of basil its one I couldn’t help but share, I hope you like it and please let me know if you made it.

Basil-infused pasta primavera:

1lb. of Farfalle or pasta of your choice

4-6 drops Basil essential oil ( I only used 4 because a little goes a LONG way)

2 cups Fresh Broccoli Florets

1 medium Red Onion, diced

3 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 cup Fresh Spinach, coarsely chopped

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

Salt and Pepper to taste

Lemon Juice per taste

Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

2 Tablespoon minced fresh Basil for topping

Boil water for pasta. Add 4-6 drops of basil essential oil to the water. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté broccoli until just tender, about 7-10 minutes.

Combine pasta, broccoli, spinach, and cherry tomatoes in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Squirt the pasta primavera with lemon juice to taste, and then top with grated parmesan cheese and minced fresh basil.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

(Thanks to Essential oils pocket reference by Life Science. I use them so often but need to give a shout out, its such a helpful book if you want to know the benefits of essential oils.)

I was reading Young Livings recipes on cooking with essential oils and found this great recipe. The only thing I changed was I used raw honey but they turned out wonderful and on this downward stretch of summer with temps still staying pretty hot these are the perfect thing to cool you down.

So easy and things most of us have on hand, it only takes a little patience to wait as they set up.

Coco/Peppermint Fudgsicles
1 14 oz can of coconut milk

1/3 cup of Coco powder

2 Tablespoon of coconut oil

2 Tablespoon of raw honey

1-2 drops of peppermint essential oil.
Pour into molds, place in freezer for about 3 hours to set up.